Survival Food Types

While we seem to enjoy an abundance and wide variety of food here in the United States, the cold, hard truth is that our local food supply relies on a complex web of producers, distributers, and retailers and this infrastructure has more than one potential weak point. If the supply fails at the production level or if the shipping routes become impassable the local grocery stores’ food supply will likely last less than a week. Based on the very limited supply at your local grocery store during a crisis, it’s prudent to ensure the safety of you and your family with your own emergency food supply.

Freeze Dried Foods

Freeze dried foods like those by Mountain House and Wise Foods are flash frozen and then dehydrated so they retain most of their nutritional value while also boasting the longest shelf life available. If you’ve ever eaten a breakfast cereal with tasty, dried strawberry slices you’ve had freeze dried food! Freeze dried foods are lightweight and quite portable. Their compact individual packet size and stackable bulk bucket packaging makes them convenient emergency food supply foods whether at home or on the move. One of the major benefits of freeze dried food for both emergency food storage as well as outdoor adventuring is the sheer variety of foods available - from your favorite breakfasts to delectable desserts and everything in between. Unlike MREs, freeze dried foods need to be rehydrated through the addition of water prior to consumption. Hot water is generally preferred but most can also be reconstituted with unheated water in a pinch.

Dehydrated Foods:

Dehydrated foods are fairly common. In fact, you probably have some in your kitchen right now. Dried fruit like raisins, beef jerky, and all those jarred herbs are just some examples of dehydrated foods. Dehydrating foods changes them quite significantly from their fresh form. Many foods like fruits and veggies become much more potent when dehydrated (think sun dried tomatoes versus fresh tomatoes). Some foods like fruits are edible in their dehydrated state; others, like dried beans, need to be rehydrated first. Dehydrated foods have a long shelf life and for those that aren’t edible in their dehydrated state, they’re easy to prepare, requiring only the addition of hot water. Dehydrated foods do retain most of their nutritional value although certain vitamins and minerals are lost or depleted. With all the water removed, dehydrated emergency foods are compact and lightweight. They’re easy to store and easy to take with you if you need to move.

Canned Foods

Another emergency food supply option that we’re all familiar with is canned food. While many canned foods are available in any local grocery store, the best canned meat options are specifically designed as survival foods and not generally sold in your everyday grocery. Canned foods are heavier and less portable than freeze dried, dehydrated, and MRE survival foods, but they have their advantages. Because canned foods are packaged in liquid they can be eaten right out of the can with no preparation. This can make them a good option for times when clean water supply is low or nonexistent. Canned foods generally don’t last as long as freeze dried foods and require rotation, meaning you need to eat those that are coming up on their expiration date and replace them with newer cans. Canned foods also don’t keep once opened and need to be consumed in a relatively short period of time once opened. Survival Cave Foods makes a popular canned meat that can be added to any survival food meal for a protein boost!

High Energy Bars:

A great supplement to any survival food supply and ideal for keeping in the car, briefcase, or purse, energy bars like Millennium Energy Bars are a quick way to get some tasty calories in a pinch. Whether you’re stranded roadside or missed lunch and need a boost, energy bars can provide a substantial energy boost. A favorite snack among backpackers and other outdoor enthusiasts, the energy bar is the ultimate compact and easy snack to boost your energy on-the-go.

Emergency Survival Food Supply

Emergency food storage supply can be achieved in a variety of ways. You can put together your own emergency food supply bit by bit by buying individual #10 cans, pouches, and canned goods to suit the tastes and requirements of your family. You can also purchase premade survival food supply kits. These kits come in a variety of popular supply sizes aimed at creating nutritionally balanced daily meals based on roughly 2,000 calories/day per person. These premade kits provide a variety of breakfasts, lunch and dinner entrées, snacks, sides, fruits and veggies, and desserts. Long term emergency food kits are available in 1, 3, 6, and 1 year. Kits are also available for shorter terms of under 1-month including the ever popular 72-hour emergency meal kit as well as two week supply packs. Emergency food supply kits are generally comprised of just-add-water meals and packaged in #10 cans and individual serving pouches.